06-18-2019, 07:55 AM
Quote:"And regarding #1 caveat, I am not convinced of the metaphysical perspective that most here agree with. Perhaps it is all valid, but to me that is not known.
I share your doubts. I believe that it is important (as Ra said) to realize that we do not understand the nature of reality or the why of things, but I definitely agree that some pills are hard to swallow. Lately the notion of child soldiers has been popping up in my mind quite a bit, and I have trouble reconciling that reality with these concepts of acceptance, catalyst, polarization, etc. Then I think that souls who undergo extreme trauma and pain like that were perhaps leaning towards STS in their soul stream, and perhaps in having such an experience they can either decide to fully embrace STS, or start aspiring to STO. But of course, the notion that people who suffer through such tragedies somehow "brought it upon themselves" sounds so terrible. Personally, as uncomfortable as I am with certain realities, I believe the best fit for me is the belief that all things may indeed be happening for a reason, but while realizing that I really just do not understand. I believe in using our discomfort at the pain and suffering of others as motivation to ease that very suffering and to be of service, not as an excuse to become bitter and to be angry at the Creator, or to live in a state of fear and powerlessness at the perceived chaotic and cruel nature of reality.
Quote:Must we murder someone to understand what it is to take a life?
I suspect that may indeed be the perspective of the soul, but from a 3rd density perspective, I think this is where imagination plays a big part. Ra suggested the use of the imagination for those desires not in line with The Law of One. We explore our dark desires in that safe environment, we intensify them even, accept them and love them. But we do not feed them* by actually manifesting them in the physical world.
*if our intent is STO polarization, that is.
Quote:STS is love of, and service to, self. How that service manifests may be incidental to the others it affects from the STS individual's point of view.
I think this opens up a very interesting subject for debate.
I decide to look upon this from the perspective that, in a unified Creation, it is impossible to be without being of service. In other words, it is impossible to do anything in the Creation without being in some kind of relationship with other parts of the Creation. I believe that this relationship (be it in the form of thoughts or actions) can always fall somewhere in the acceptance-control continuum. To put myself as an example, I'm extremely introverted in the sense of needing huge amounts of alone time. I may be in nature enjoying the view of a lake, for example. A group of people happens to walk by. Given that I was enjoying the peace, the quiet and the beauty of the environment, I may feel somewhat of an annoyance at having that silence disrupted. A part of me definitely wishes things were different; that those people were gone. I may not act upon this thought, I may not try to actively and physically control these people to get them out of there, but the thought itself, without falling into full blown STS territory, was definitely more into the "control" side of the spectrum. Then I may decide to balance this with other thoughts, thoughts of acceptance, like "these people have as much right to be here as I do", or "it's not reasonable that everybody be quiet so that I can enjoy quietness".
In a businessman the situations are more cut and dry. A businessman by definition is attempting to climb a hierarchy; a hierarchy of other-selves. That's a context ripe with catalyst. Will he climb the hierarchy naturally, in a moral way, on his genuine merits and hard work alone? Or will he manipulate, lie and cheat to get to the top? In the case of an STS entity I don't think there's any doubt that, when push comes to shove, they will have no qualms about choosing the latter. I don't think such a thing can ever be incidental, at least not when it comes to harvestable entities. Both STO and STS entities have to decide very consciously what kind of relationship with other-selves they are going to have.
In that sense, while I do agree with you on your words on evolution of self and realizing one's potential, the real important matter when it comes to polarization is which kind of relationship we're going to have with other-selves throughout that self-realization process. This latter process is unique to each, and it has to be discovered by the self, but it is without polarity. An STO entity still has to decide what way of service is most fulfilling to him/herself.
Quote:Not sure what you mean by faith. Could you elaborate?
Either faith in a particular metaphysical framework, or (as Q'uo expresses) faith in the sense of believing that everything is well and as it should be, no matter how bad it may look. Atheists can and often are very driven by morality, but the very belief that there is nothing beyond 3rd density imposes on them the belief that certain things (a great deal of things, in fact) are completely unacceptable. I believe that this makes great amounts of atheists who, for all intents and purposes are wonderful people, fall into the sink-hole of indifference, given that their beliefs are a handicap towards the acceptance needed to polarize STO.